YouQuest (Community Volunteer)

• Background/police check required
• Appropriate for volunteers aged between 18 and 55
• Appropriate for volunteers aged 55 and over

YouQuest is Calgary’s first community for people with young-onset dementia (under 65 years) and their families.  Our purpose is to promote health and well-being by ensuring access to recreation therapy, counselling and peer support. YouQuest offers a place to belong, a reliable support network to families for full-day respite and caregiver peace of mind to maintain family responsibilities. A registered charity, YouQuest provides access to recreation centre amenities people to follow their own interests. Our Recreation Therapy staff and community volunteers provide functional support as needed to help people achieve well-being, learn new skills, and maintain their independence.   What’s a Typical Day at YouQuest? Welcoming and interacting with participants and staff as part of our team Actively participating in recreation activities along with participants Anticipating participant needs and learning their life stories Joining in team co-planning to support individual and group interests each day Arranging daily snacks and lunch with fellow team members and participants Liaising with care partners and family members Weekly:     Tuesdays and Thursdays – 8:30 am – 4:00 pm (volunteer shifts 3+ hours, your choice) Location:   Calgary Jewish Community Centre Nutrition:   Snacks/Lunch provided; enjoyed with participants & staff Is YouQuest a Fit for You? DO YOU… Have a ‘can do’ positive attitude? See possibilities, and help overcome obstacles for each individual? Communicate easily in a calm, reliable and compassionate manner with others? Have a desire to learn/implement strategies that support participants to express themselves? ‘Go with the flow’ for flexible and proactive support of participants? Respect the privacy and confidentiality of YouQuest participants and families? Have a current City of Calgary Police Information Check for vulnerable populations?   Who are the YouQuest Participants? YouQuest is designed to appeal to younger people with dementia who want to be active and social in a community recreation setting. Therefore, inclusion criteria are fairly specific to facilitate the formal evaluation of the pilot for participant outcomes, such as: Diagnosis of young onset dementia before 65; OR symptoms prior to 65 with later diagnosis Safe in an unsecured environment Self-ambulatory and medically stable Willing and able to participate safely in individual and group recreation activities Able to manage own activities of daily living/medications with minimal assistance   Email: volunteer@youquest.ca to apply or visit www.youquest.ca